As a die-hard horror fan who’s been through countless late-night movie marathons and has a soft spot for the underdogs in the genre, I can’t help but be utterly captivated by the journey of Lawrence Fowler and his family. Hailing from Barry, a quaint seaside village in Wales, these innovative filmmakers have turned their small town into the Detroit of scary puppet movies.
The charming coastal town of Barry, nestled in southern Wales, boasts stunning beaches, a rich history as a major coal exporter during the early 20th century, and for aficionados of low-budget horror, it’s often referred to as the ‘Detroit’ of creepy puppet movies. It is from this idyllic seaside locale that Lawrence Fowler and his father Geoff are continuously crafting evil doll films. Lawrence, the son, pens and directs these sinister stories where toy characters engage in malicious acts towards innocent people in ancient castles and countryside mansions. Geoff, a quintessential British inventor, constructs the puppets.
Starting from The Curse of the Witch’s Doll (2018), a crowd-funded horror tale about a sweet little doll haunted by a 17th-century witch, Fowler Media Ltd. has turned into a factory of homemade horror movies. Over the past eight years, they’ve produced a trilogy of marionette horror films: The Jack in the Box (2019), Jack in the Box: Awakening (2022), and The Jack in the Box Rises (2024). They also delved into an old-fashioned haunted house story, The Ghost Within (2023). Recently, they completed production on Rob1n, a film reminiscent of M3gan, about a solitary man who creates a robot friend without realizing that its programming contains the ghost of his long-deceased, violent son.
Lawrence mentions that initially, we didn’t plan on creating so many puppet-horror films. However, as it turned out, both the industry and the audience responded positively to them, leading us to continue producing these movies.
As a devoted horror enthusiast, I’m excited to share that the chilling tale of Jack in the Box – a film revolving around a seemingly innocent wind-up toy transforming into a terrifying demon – has garnered more than 1 million theatrical viewings globally. Remarkably, it even managed to secure a place among the top 10 films in Italy during the COVID era when cinemas were starved for content. Jack in the Box: Awakening, as per Glenn Ackermann from Scary Content, a German-based specialist in low-budget horror, has amassed “at least 3 million theatrical viewings worldwide.” Majority of these viewings were in Latin America and South East Asia. Notably, Scary Content, who’s handled world sales for the Fowler films since the initial Jack in the Box, also distributes other demon-themed movies like Face of Evil and The Crucifix. Ackermann states, “We focus on theatrical releases, movies that will see a theatrical release in certain territories. The Fowler films are a well-established brand, which is quite impressive for an independent father-and-son team based in Wales.
David Marsh from Scary Content remarks that their films are visually appealing, skillfully constructed with effective jump scares,” he says. “I frequently watch many low-budget horror films, but these stand out as superior. Indeed, they excel beyond the competition.
In the Fowler family, scary doll movies have become their specialty. Lawrence’s wife oversees production, while his mother-in-law manages props and doubles as the head chef. As each film progresses, the Fowlers grow more daring. “Rob1n’s budget is at least ten times greater than The Witch’s Doll,” Lawrence explains, referring to a significant increase from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Geoff’s intricate prop creations are becoming increasingly complex. For Rob1n, he constructed a fully motorized robot doll from scratch, using 3D printers to design and assemble the parts. It can function either as a robot or, in case of an emergency like a “Jaws” scenario where the doll malfunctions, it can be manipulated as a puppet.
Approximately 200 visual effects are featured in the movie, with around 90-99% of them being ‘in-camera’ or practical effects. This is something that many genre enthusiasts truly admire. We strive to continually challenge ourselves. For this film, we even set a character on fire for the first time – an exciting experience!
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2024-11-06 18:54